〜と思う

Property	Value
Pattern	〜と思う
JLPT Level	N4
Type	thought
Formality	Neutral
Register	Both

Meaning

The pattern 〜と思う (~to omou) is used to express one's personal opinion, thoughts, or beliefs. It translates to "I think that..." or "I feel that..." and is the most common way to state an opinion in Japanese.

Structure Formula

[Plain form verb / i-adj] + と思う
[na-adj / noun] + だ + と思う

Verbs: Use the plain form (dictionary form, past tense, or negative).
i-adjectives: Use the plain form (e.g., 美味しいと思う).
na-adjectives/Nouns: You must add だ (da) before と思う (e.g., 静かだと思っている).
Politeness: You can conjugate 思う to 思います (omoimasu) for polite speech.

Detailed Explanation

Core Usage: This pattern is used to state your subjective view on a situation. Because it is subjective, it is often used to soften a statement, making it sound less like an absolute fact and more like a personal perspective.
Nuance: When you use 〜と思う, you are signaling that this is your own internal conclusion. It is frequently used when making suggestions or expressing agreement/disagreement.
Formality: The pattern itself is neutral. By changing the ending to 思います (omoimasu), it becomes polite (desu/masu style). In casual conversation, you can drop the と (to) particle entirely, saying "〜と思うよ" or just "〜と思う."
Tense: Note that Japanese often uses the progressive form 〜と思っている (to omotte iru) when talking about a long-held belief or a state of mind that has been consistent over time, rather than a sudden thought.
Comparison: Unlike English, where "I think" is often placed at the beginning of a sentence, in Japanese, the opinion or thought always precedes the verb 思う.

Example Sentences

Japanese	Reading	Romaji	English
明日は雨が降ると思う。	あしたはあめがふるとおもう。	Ashita wa ame ga furu to omou.	I think it will rain tomorrow.
彼は来ないと思います。	かれはこないとおもいます。	Kare wa konai to omoimasu.	I don't think he will come.
この映画は面白いと思う。	このえいがはおもしろいとおもう。	Kono eiga wa omoshiroi to omou.	I think this movie is interesting.
彼女は親切だと思う。	かのじょはしんせつだとおもう。	Kanojo wa shinsetsu da to omou.	I think she is kind.
日本語は難しいと思う。	にほんごはむずかしいとおもう。	Nihongo wa muzukashii to omou.	I think Japanese is difficult.
彼は学生だと思っている。	かれはがくせいだとおもっている。	Kare wa gakusei da to omotte iru.	I believe (have been thinking) he is a student.
もっと勉強したほうがいいと思う。	もっとべんきょうしたほうがいいとおもう。	Motto benkyou shita hou ga ii to omou.	I think you should study more.
それはいい考えだと思う。	それはいいかんがえだとおもう。	Sore wa ii kangae da to omou.	I think that is a good idea.

Comparison with Similar Patterns

〜と思う vs 〜と考えます (kangaemasu)

〜と思う: Used for personal, subjective feelings or spontaneous thoughts.
〜と考えます: Used for logical, objective, or formal considerations. It sounds more analytical.

Pattern	Nuance	Example
〜と思う	Subjective/Personal	私はそう思う。(I think so.)
〜と考えます	Objective/Logical	専門家はそう考える。(Experts think so.)

Common Mistakes

❌ 美味しいと思う → ✓ 美味しいと思う (Correct) ❌ 静かと思う → ✓ 静かだと思う (Correct)

Explanation: Learners often forget to add だ (da) after na-adjectives and nouns. You must include it to connect the noun/na-adj to the particle と.

❌ 私は思う、雨が降る。 → ✓ 雨が降ると思う。

Explanation: In Japanese, the "thought" must come before the verb. You cannot put "I think" at the start of the sentence followed by a comma.

Practice Exercises

Fill in the blank:

明日はテストがある（　　　　）。 (I think there is a test tomorrow.)
彼はとても元気（　　　　）。 (I think he is very energetic.)
この料理は辛い（　　　　）。 (I think this dish is spicy.)
彼は医者（　　　　）。 (I think he is a doctor.)
早く帰ったほうがいい（　　　　）。 (I think it's better to go home early.)

Answer Key:

と思う (Verb: ある + と思う)
だと思っている / だと思う (na-adj: 元気 + だ + と思う)
と思う (i-adj: 辛い + と思う)
だと思っている / だと思う (Noun: 医者 + だ + と思う)
と思う (Verb: 帰った + と思う)

JLPT Level Notes

In the JLPT N4, this pattern often appears in reading comprehension sections to identify the speaker's stance. Be careful with the 〜と思っている vs 〜と思う distinction; if the context implies a long-held opinion, the progressive form is often the correct choice in multiple-choice questions.